No Bake Granola Bars

We are a family that resolutely believes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day…so whether its Indian, Continental or English…dosas, muffins or sunny side up eggs with hash browns there will always be a warm sizzling sound coming from the kitchen on most mornings. There are times when even a cold brekkie of porridge will be chugged down if there is no option. We do believe that as a meal it does set you up for the day & keeps you energized enough for the kind of stress that’s an inevitable part of all our lives today. So here is one more option that you can add to your breakfast repertoire which doesn't really require much cooking & can be stored quite well for those emergency morning, when you barely have time to grab something on your way out.

Ingredients:

• ·         1 & 1/2 cup rolled oats

• ·         1/4 cup sesame seeds

• ·         1/2 cup almonds or cashew nuts (depending on availability)

• ·         1 cup diced dates

• ·         1/3 cup choco chips

• ·         1/3 cup dried sour cherries

• ·         1/2 cup roasted peanuts

• ·         1/4 cup peanut butter

• ·         1/4 cup honey

• ·         Pinch of salt

Method

Roast oats & sesame seeds for 10 minutes till slightly browned. Toast almonds & add to oats. Add dates, choco chips, cherries & peanuts slightly crushed. Heat peanut butter, honey & salt in a small pan stirring all the while until warm. Pour this over oats & stir using your hands or a spatula . Transfer to pan, pat it down so the top is flat. Freeze for 30 minutes to one hour. Remove & cut into bars. Store in fridge. The bars keep for upto 3 weeks.

Mommy’s Tip: We had only 1 tbsp. honey so added golden syrup to make up for the remaining consistency. Almonds were substituted for cashew nuts & it tasted just fine.

Giant Choco Cookie

After a long week at work, few joys compare to a hard lavender-scented massage, a good book & a delicious home-made chocolate treat you can wrap your lips around. This is the first time we’ve tried baking a giant cookie… we’ve done cupcakes, pies & crumbles before… but never cookies, don’t know why though ?!?. This like all things sinful is chocolate beyond chocolate oozing out of every pore. As if this wasn’t enough to set us swooning, we  experimented with adding sprinkles… & boy are we glad we did … life just seems a tad more hopeful with sprinkles…don’t it !!! Even my father who is not a chocolate aficionado loved this one. So methinks this will now be a regular in our repertoire. Feel free to try it out & enjoy your weekend as much as we are going to relish ours.

Ingredients:

·         2 tbsp butter

·         2 tbsp sugar

·         2 tbsp brown sugar

·         2 eggs

·         1/2 tsp vanilla extract

·         1/4 cup flour

·         2 tbsp cocoa powder

·         1/2 tsp baking soda

·         Pinch of salt

·         1 pack Chocolate chips or ready-made chocolate buttons

·         Assorted sprinklers

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175 degree C. Line a baking tray with silicon mat & set aside. In a bowl mix butter & sugars with a spoon. Add egg & vanilla. In another bowl sieve flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients & combine. Add chocolate chips & be generous with that. Place the dough in the center of silicon mat & make a mound using a spoon. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips & sprinkles. Bake for around 15-20 minutes. Cookie will appear soft but will firm up as it cools.

Mommy’s Tip : You can enjoy your death by chocolate cookie as an afternoon snack with coffee or even just to satisfy those midnight cravings when nothing but chocolate will do.

REVIEWS -- 2

CHEZ MOI

When one hears of yet another restaurant boasting of “French food made accessible” these days, it’s greeted with no small amount of cynicism. Most European cuisines are definitely Indianized to suit the home-grown palate although at Chez Moi its remarkably downplayed to retain the Euopean flavor. Chez Moi  literally means “My Home” and it is a very French-parlor ambience that’s created despite the lack of space in Bombay’s Oshiwara location where this branch is situated. The service was attentive & gracious with recommendations made when we told them we were there for the first time.

We started with olive embedded batter-fried goujons with tarter sauce. It was a pleasant surprise to see goujons on the menu as for some inexplicable reason they seem to have some amount of bad press as opposed to other fish. We found these perfectly fried…crispy on the outside, not too heavy, the meat flaky & delicious within. The olives embedded into the batter added a nice touch cutting the fried batter taste in intervals. The tarter sauce was real tarter sauce, mayonnaise with cut veggies in it. So we were off to a good start.

Our next entrée was cheese leek cigars with balsamic vinegar & a salsa dip. Rolls of baked filo pastry filled with luscious cheddar & edam cheese & slivers of celery leek. Every bite afforded the amalgamation of all flavours blending in harmoniously. The salsa dip added the right touch of spice kick to the cheesy cigars.

For main courses, we had the herb grilled fish with sautéed veggies & butter sauce and pan-seared cilantro infused fish with potato mash & veggies sautéed in garlic oil. The herb grilled rawas had a smoky undertone which blended well with the herbs and dipped in butter sauce tasted absolutely delicious. The sautéed veggies were lightly topped with red wine vinegar which added a hint of acidic tang to cut the butter sauce. The pan-seared cilantro infused basa was delicately flavored without much spices so as to let the actual flavor of the cilantro come through, which was the highlight of the dish. The potato mash was sprinkled with pepper & shaped like a bun which also added to the aesthetics of the dish rather than just being dumped on the plate. In sum all dishes delivered on their promise of taste & quality albeit a tad on the smaller size in terms of portions to satisfy the usual Indian expectations.

The only place where we thought Chez Moi  could pull up its socks was the desert department. The choice of deserts on the menu is rather limited to say in the least & frankly didn’t tempt us at all. There are so many classic options that they can include in their repertoire like crème brulee`, strawberry savarin, quick tarte tatin, various flavoured meringues, apricot or almond clafouti, etc. but none are included. However if you are looking for a reasonably goof European food experience with less than 5-star costs, you’d do well visit Chez Moi as would we soon again

REVIEWS - 1

For food aficionados like us, not only do we enjoy experimenting with various dishes but also when we dine out & try something new, its our gut-given birthright to inform everyone about it, so that all you fellow food lovers can sample these varied gastronomy delights as well. So here’s starting off our REVIEWS section at “Mommyskitchenchronicles” with a place that’s been a family favourite for years… The delectable restaurant & patisserie THEOBROMA

Now for us, there are few things that top a lazy weekend brunch. So when we found ourselves on a smouldering Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of Bandra, Linking Road, there was little choice where we would end up to indulge our tummy. As usual, Theobroma was crowded with its regulars…we were lucky to get a table immediately.

We started off with the non-veg quiche as an appetizer. And as always, it did not disappoint. Not only was the filling of chicken, herbs & cheese perfectly blended so that all the flavours complemented each other without overpowering any one, but the small dollop of tomato sauce on top, rounded off to a nice tangy finish. The crust/base was fresh, crunchy and had a hint of cheese as an after-taste as well. No wonder this is one of our standard favourites there.

We moved next to the main course. I opted for the Eggs Benedict & my mom choose the Bacon Butty. Both meals took sometime to arrive but since the staff was courteous enough to inform us beforehand so it was not tiresome despite the wait.

My Eggs Benedict arrived, piping hot & perfectly made. The eggs were poached to perfection…not too runny, not to hard…just right. The maple-glazed ham was tender & cured to succulent perfection. The hollandaise sauce was light with none of the artery-clogging cholesterol-inducing taste you normally associate with French food. The buns were fresh, soft & completely chewy. Also worth a mention was the light herbed hollandaise/mustard topping on the poached eggs with rounded off the entire flavour parade to a grand finale with every bite. My mom’s Bacon Butty was a large burger, garlic mayo, French fried & generous portions of bacon wedged in. Not a small meal but since my mom polished off the entire lot sans any help, I can safely decipher that it was uber delicious. The French fries were perfectly crispy on the outside, soft within, the garlic mayo subtle & the bacon was fried to sheer perfection.

As yummy as the meal was, we all know a trip to Theos, isn’t complete without their devilishly tempting deserts. So to round off our meal, we had the Devil’s Mousse Cake & Bake New York Cheesecake. The former is a rich, sinfully delicious chocolate cake…a combination of mousse & cake with a light dusting of cocoa on top. It maybe called Devil’s Mousse cake but it sure took my mom (a self-confessed dark chocolate lover) straight to seventh heaven. My Bake New York Cheesecake was a nice change from the usual chocolate delights I choose there. The biscuit base was perfect. The cream cheese was broken with an in between sliver of orange that provided a nice sweet touch to the tang of the cheese. The light, airy, meringue` topping being the perfect counterfoil for any lingering tartness.

If I had any complaints with Theobroma deserts is that their portions needs to be a little bigger. It’s like two bites & its over…However all said & done over entire meal didn't cost more than 800 INR so pretty good value for money overall & of course as usual Theos did not disappoint on counts of taste or quality.

Sweet Corn & Smoked Salami Bake

The weather in Bombay today was as whimsical & unpredictable as this thriving, bustling cosmopolitan city itself… rain drizzling rains & fog one minute & bright winter sunshine the next. Unique, annoying, remarkable as a lovely lady’s mood swings. In a milieu as charming as this two things come immediately to mind… a warm comfortable couch, hot strong Irish coffee & yummy grilled sandwiches (well, ok, three things!). The bed & coffee may have to wait but here is an uber delish, piping hot, straight-from-the-oven bake that’s sure to hit the spot when the mercury drops. So put your baker’s hat on & watch the compliments flow your way…

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet corn boiled.
• 100 gm smoked chicken salami,
• 2 tbsp cream
•  2 to 3 cloves garlic.
• Dill salt 1/2 tsp. (home-made)
• 2/3 tbsp. wheat flour
• 1& 1/2 cup milk
• Dried basil
• Salt, pepper & chili sauce as per taste
•  One pack bread crumbs

Method

Pre heated oven at 200 degree C. Put above ingredients in a blender & whirl to a semi smooth paste. Make a healthy white sauce by mixing together 2/3 tbsp wheat flour, 11/2 cup milk, 1 tbsp olive oil,& some shredded cheese. Simmer on low flame, add dried basil, 1/2 tsp dill salt or common salt, pepper powder, to taste. When the sauce thickens remove from flame & add 1 tbsp. chili sauce or as per taste----add corn & salami mix to white sauce & combine well. Grease a baking dish & place white sauce mix in the dish -- dot with fresh brown bread crumbs & bake in a for 1/2 an hour or till done. You can grill the top for 5 minutes to get a golden hue

Mommy’s Tip:  We recommend enjoying this with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc and cheesy garlic bread. A good flick on the telly wouldn't hurt either ;)

No Bake Peanut Butter & Chocolate Bars

Now when it comes to peanut butter & chocolate, you don’t really need a reason; just occasion & opportunity. Today happens to present both. It’s Valentine Day (14 Feb) on a Friday & it’s a full moon out tonight. All three magical occurrences on one single day deserve an ode as decadent as only peanut butter & chocolate can provide. So whether you are single (it can be a great source of comfort to munch on these while you watch a mushy flick), or taken (I can’t think of a better present for a loved one especially one that is so easy to make) or hoping to be taken (the way to a man’s heart is still through his stomach ladies, & chocolate very often, helps smooth the way), this is one sure-shot combo you must try…one bite & watch the world around you suddenly become a much better place :)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (115g) salted butter, melted
• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs or one pack digestive biscuits
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (215g) creamy peanut butter 
• 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Method:

Line a 8x8 or 9x9 square baking pan with aluminum foil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar together until combined. If you are using digestive biscuits, make sure they are smashed to bits as finely as possible, either by hand or in a processor. Stir in 3/4 cup of peanut butter. Spread into prepared baking pan. In a small bowl, microwave 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips until melted. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.

Chill until completely firm, at least 4 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Bars stay fresh stored in the refrigerator. Serve chilled. Eat. Smile. Repeat 100 times.

Mommy’s Tip:  Depending on the quantity you make & your consumption levels, they store perfectly well upto 3 weeks. In our house, it’s never made it past a week.

Savoury French Toast with Grilled Smoked Salami

As it happens with some of the best recipes, this one came together by trial & error & our steadfast refusal to throw things away. This is the savoury version of the famous French toast and although we used diced onions as the only veggie, you can also add tomatoes, mushrooms, diced potatoes for a veggie version & to make it a more filling supper for kids. Best part like most of our inventions, you are in & out of the kitchen in less than thirty minutes (which is also a lot on a working day) with a full-fledged meal for your family. The portions mentioned here are for three people so make sure you add/remove extra when making it on your own.

Ingredients:

• 150 – 200 ml milk
• 8 slices bread (I used whole wheat)
• 1 small onion
• 10 grams grated cheese (a mix of parmesan, chedder)
• One pinch of salt & pepper to taste
• One pinch of dried chives or oregano
• Pinch of chilli flakes to taste
• 3 eggs
• 5 slices of good store-bought smoked salami (thawed)

Method:

Keep the bread aside for now & dice the onion as finely as you can. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl and add the eggs, salt, pepper, chives, grated cheese, chilli flakes & diced onions all in & whisk till everything is mixed in finely together. Pour the milk out on a hollow-bottomed large plate to dunk the bread slices in. let the slices soak for 10 seconds on each side. Heat oil on a saucepan & sear the egg-soaked bread on each side till golden brown. One the bread is done, use the same oil to grill the salami for maximum flavour penetration. If you still have some of the milk-egg-onion-cheese mix left over, pour it into the saucepan & stir it till the egg cooks & you have a bit of a ready-made egg bhurji go to along with your toast & salami also….ENJOY !!!

Mommy's Tip:  We recommend a glass of full bodied red wine to help savour all the flavours to the fullest.